Bullets, tears and hopes for peace as Arafat dies

YASSER ARAFAT, the guerrilla icon turned Nobel Peace Prize winner who ended up isolated and locked in renewed conflict with Israel, died yesterday, his dream of a Palestinian state unfulfilled. He was 75.

The announcement of the death of the Palestinian leader ended days of confusion over his fate as he lay comatose behind a shroud of secrecy in a Paris hospital.

Mr Arafat died after suffering a brain haemorrhage on Tuesday at the Paris hospital where he was flown on October 29 from the West Bank headquarters, where he had been penned by Israel for more than 2½ years. Details of his illness remain a mystery.

His death marked the end of an era in modern Middle East history, leaving the Palestinians without a strong leader for the first time since Mr Arafat took charge four decades ago. It sparked fears of a chaotic power struggle that could lead to fighting in the streets.

"He closed his eyes and his big heart stopped. He left for God but he is still among this great people," said senior Arafat aide Tayeb Abdel Rahim, who broke into tears as he announced Mr Arafat's death.

The Palestinian Cabinet declared 40 days of mourning for Mr Arafat, and the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades in Gaza, a militant group linked to Mr Arafat's Fatah movement, decided to change its name to the Martyr Yasser Arafat Brigades.

Fearing the grief could rapidly turn into rioting, Israel quickly moved to seal of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and increased security at Jewish settlements.

Airbus last night flew Mr Arafat's body to Cairo for an airport mosque funeral service today to be attended by dignitaries from around the world. His wife Suha, said to be living on a €77,000 a month stipend from her husband, was on the flight. His body will then be flown by helicopter to his Ramallah compound for burial in a concrete coffin later in the day.

Mr Arafat's passing stirred hopes of reviving Middle East peacemaking for the first time in years. He had been reviled by Israel as a "master terrorist" and shunned by Washington as an "obstacle to peace".

In towns and refugee camps across the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, tens of thousands of Palestinians poured into the streets with wails of grief and volleys of gunfire.

Not far away in Gaza, Jewish settlers danced and drank champagne to celebrate his death.

With condolences pouring in from across the globe, Palestinian officials urged Israel to revive stalled talks, and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said it could be a "turning point" for peace.

"The death of Yasser Arafat is a significant moment in Palestinians' history," US President George W Bush said in a statement.

Within hours of his death, Fatah militants attacked a Jewish settlement in Gaza and Israeli soldiers killed three Palestinians.